“Frontal attack”. It sparks between Europe and the USA on the eve of important peaks. Expert: Donald Trump shoots himself in the knee
During both upcoming meetings, American allies will try to soften the position of Trump's trade and security issues. The US President regularly tried to sabotage such meetings during his first term.
Since Trump's return to power, the world's situation has changed significantly five months ago. The president and his administration began a frontal attack on the foundations of Washington's relations with longtime allies. In this situation, Europe can only do one.
Although maintaining friendly relations with the President of the United States will be important, former European allies should coordinate their response to the expected Washington's offensive.
As for defense issues, Trump clearly made it clear that he did not consider the security of the United States and their allies as inseparable – and this principle has guided US involvement over the past 80 years. US Secretary of Defense Pete HegeSth emphasized that European NATO members must “take responsibility for conventional security in Europe.”
In other words, Europe's security is no longer seen as a common responsibility. The same applies to the war in Ukraine, which Trump promised to end in one day. “It was a European situation and should remain a European situation,” he said last month after another disappointing telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump's approach to security based on the principle of “America above all” (America First includes Canada, a neighbor and a member of NATO, whom he promised help in defense only if it becomes 51. The state of the USA – despite the fact that Due to the geographical location, every attack on Canada would pose a serious threat to the United States.
“The EU was created to harm the United States”
In terms of the economy, Trump has long been clear that he considers America's closest allies as countries that have been using it for decades. Believes that the German and Japanese automotive industry have been successful mainly thanks to dishonest tradewhich puts American exports of cars in an adverse situation.
The US president believes that Canada weakens the American steel, dairy and wood industry. Trump sees a commercial deficit as evidence of unfair competition. He also claims that “the European Union has been created to harm the United States.”
The only solution to all these problems is for Trump the introduction of duties. For the US president, this is “the most beautiful word in the world”.
Trump referred to national security, justifying the application of 50 % duties on import of steel from Canada, Europe and other countries, 25 % Ceals for cars and car parts and threatened to do the same with the import of medicines and semiconductors. He also applied 10 % duties for all imports, promising to increase them to 20 percent. or more, unless new trade agreements are concluded by July 9.
Russia on special conditions
Interestingly, although duties were also imposed on China and other countries that are not US allies, Russia has been exempt from these fees. Trump also called Putin until the end of the war in Ukraine, promising to increase trade.
Russia – which is a real threat to the security of Europe – receives from Trump something that he called a “huge” chance for economic growth.
US President Donald Trump
Finally, although this may not have the most direct influence, it is the political offensive of Trump's administration towards allies – and especially Europe – it will have long -term consequences.
It started with a speech by vice president JD Vance during a security conference in Munich in February, where he warned the surprised audience that “the threat that worries him the most in relation to Europe, is not Russia, they are not China”, but “internal threat, the departure of Europe from some of its most fundamental values.” Many present in the room saw that this language was used by German leaders in the 1930s to accuse Jews and other groups of treason.
Since then, attacks on Europe and its values have only intensified. Leading officials of the American administration on the eve of elections in European countries opening They took on the side of the far -right forces in Germany, Romania and Poland. Then, when the German Internal Intelligence Agency classified the far -right Alternative to Germany as an extremist organization, the secretary of state Marco Rubio wrote on the platform X: “This is not democracy – this is tyranny in disguise.”
Stunning reprimand
To make matters worse, at the end of last month, the US Department of State published an essay in which he accused Europeans of the lead “aggressive campaign against Western civilization”.
“Forms of freedom of speech, facilitating mass migration, attacks on religious religion and undermining the elections threaten the foundations of the transatlantic partnership,” wrote the author of the essay.
It was a stunning reprimand – especially from the administration involved in mass deportations of immigrants, cutting funds for the fight against hunger and diseases around the world, using allegations of anti -Semitism to attacks on universities, ignoring court rulings and creating tests of loyalty for government employees, while exerting pressure on the media, so that the media would stay.
This is a fundamental change in the way the United States currently perceives their allies. And although it will be important to keep Trump in checks during the G7 and NATO peaks, former allies in North America, Europe and Asia should devote time to coordinating the response to the attack of his administration on their long -term partnership.
